Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is caused by the removal of the outer sheath - or myelin - of nerves in the brain or spinal cord. This is called demyelination, and it is the result of attack by white blood cells, which initiate a process of inflammation. Without a myelin sheath the nerves can't work properly, and don't transmit signals.
The symptoms depend on the nerves that are affected:
If it is the nerve to the eye - the optic nerve - then the vision is blurred.
If it's a sensory nerve then there's numbness or tingling, or possibly pain.
The disease runs a variable course, with some patients suffering very few attacks with only mild disabilities which recover, while others suffer repeated episodes with severe disability.
|
